Curse of the Bloodmoon- Chap 63

"I hope Daddy makes it home soon..." Yuzuki sighed as she was braiding her own hair while sitting in the living room.

"He'll be home soon." Mei smiled as she came downstairs with Yumisha on her hip. The girl had just taken a bath and had wet hair now.

Zetra sighed as she was sitting upside down on the couch. "I just want to relax.

"And you can't relax here?" Mei asked as she went over to her.

"Well, I don't want to. This isn't our official home." She shrugged.

“Yes, but we're still surrounded by family." Mei smiled, sitting down.

"It's crowded..." Yuzuki chimed in.

"Zaijo!" Suki called as the little boy was laughing upstairs before coming down to the living room.

Mei smiled at the boy. "And what are you up to?"

"Nothing~" Zaijo giggled, holding his bear to his chest.

Yumisha giggled. "You're bear is cute..."

Zaijo blushed and hugged it tighter. "Thanks..."

She giggled.

Just then the door opened.

"Misha...?" Miwa's voice called for the little girl.

"Miwa!" Yumisha squealed as she raced for the door.

Miwa smiled as she knelt down to scoop the little girl up. "Hello Misha..." She kissed her head.

“I missed you!" She giggled.

Itomi, Zander and Zanten followed behind with boxes and bags.

Miwa smiled and nodded. "I missed you too...I'm so glad to be home." She breathed. Miwa had placed her boxes by the door.

"Mei." Zanten called.

Mei came into the hall and went to take a box from Zanten. She smiled as she revealed his face. "Hello, dear~ I'm so glad you're home~"

He nodded. "How were the kids?"

"Good, but they're definitely ready to move in." Mei smiled. "We picked out the furniture while you were gone. The place just needs some home touches~" She giggled.

"Wonderful. I want to enjoy the hot spring it has." He smiled

"Mm~ Me too~" She nodded.

He smiled and kissed her.

"I hear you want my seed." Zander said.

Mei blushed a bit. "Yes but...can we discuss it in private?" She didn't want the younger children to overhear.

"Sure." He nodded as he followed Mei to another room.

Mei sat down at the kitchen table and smiled a bit. She took in a deep breath. "So...Zanten has already spoken to you, I take it..."

"Yes. I want to do this for you guys. Zanten means everything to me and you are his wife. Doing this will make you happy and in return make him happy."

Mei nodded. "I really do appreciate you doing this for me...I had always thought it was me and I couldn't give him another child like Hibiki..." She frowned, looking down at her hands.

"Well, tomorrow I'll go with you." He said. "I'm sure Yuuna will help."

Mei nodded. "Alright...And yes, I'm sure you're right. Yuuna would definitely understand."

"Are you sure about this? You seem hesitant..."

Mei blinked. "Hesitant? No, not at all..."

"Okay... If you're sure..."

Mei smiled and nodded. "Yes, I'm sure...I would like that experience one last time."

"Well, I'm happy to help out then."

Mei smiled. "I don't know how to thank you..."

"A hug?" He smiled.

Mei laughed. "Really? Thought it would cost me more~" She stood up. "I'll gladly give you a hug~"

He smiled. "And let me come and visit lots..."

Mei nodded. "Of course. You and Suzu are always welcomed." She smiled and hugged him.

"Well, I will most likely be coming alone..."

Mei blinked. "Why is that?"

"Things aren't... Good at home..."

Mei frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that..."

"Nothing you can do." He shrugged.

"I wish I could..." She sighed. "Suzu has been a friend of mine since I was a young girl...I hate seeing both of you like this." She breathed.

"It's all Ria's fault..."

Mei sighed. "He's always been like this..."

"Oh, I know..."

"Well, you're always welcome." She smiled.

"Thank you, Mei."

Mei nodded. "We're family." She smiled. "We look out for one another."

He smiled. "Good."

"Come on, let's go save Zanten from the kids~" She giggled.

He nodded and followed behind her.

Mei giggled as she entered the living room. Zanten had been pulled to the floor as Suki, Zaijo, and Yumisha were on top of him, laughing.

Zanten smiled. His children missed him.

"Do we finally get to go to our home, Daddy?" Suki asked as she sat on top of his chest, tilting her head to the side.

"We do." He smiled.

"Yay!" Zaijo giggled beside him, clutching his bear.

He smiled. "Are you all packed?"

“Yeah!" Zaijo nodded.

"Mommy helped us..." Suki smiled. "We were waiting..."

"Sorry to keep you all waiting." He said.

"That's okay, Daddy." Yuzuki smiled from the couch. "We're just happy you came home~" She giggled.

He smiled. "I'm happy to see that you're all happy still."

Mei smiled. "I wouldn't have done my job if they weren't happy~" She giggled.

"This is true." He nodded.

"Alright, everyone, get off of Daddy~ He's had a long trip~" Mei giggled as she picked up Zaijo.

Zanten smiled. "Where's Hibiki and Hinako? I want to tell them bye before I leave..."

"They went to go shopping." Mei told him. "Hinako wanted to make a big dinner tonight." She smiled.

"Alright... well then we will return here. Let's go to our new home to set up." Zanten said.

Mei nodded as she looked to the others. "Come on, kids~ Let's go unpack our home~"

“Yay!" Yumisha giggled as she hugged Miwa tighter.

Zetra smiled as she got up, grabbing her bag and heading out the door.

...

"How do you like the furniture?" Mei asked Zanten as they entered their new home. "I had to pick it out while you were gone so that the clan could furnish the home..." She told him.

"It is very nice." He said. "As long as I have a bed to sleep in and a couch to sit on, I am content.”

Mei kissed his cheek. "I'm actually really happy about moving here. It's so...different." She smiled.

He smiled. "I am glad you're happy..." He said.

Just then there was a knock to the door. Itomi was the first to the door. It was Zinan, Yuuna, Zuchu and Anzu.

Itomi blinked at the two women and instantly backed up.

"Hello." Yuuna smiled. She held a box in her hands.

Zinan was holding Zuchu on his hip as he smiled at his old friends.

Mei's eyes lit up. "Yuuna! Zinan!" She went to hug the pair. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

Zinan chuckled. "Well, you'll be seeing us a lot more. We're your neighbors."

Yuuna giggled as she held out the box. "We brought you a house warming~ It's some of my baking~ I hope you like it."

"Your house is so big!" Zuchu chuckled.

"Oh, Yuuna~ You didn't have to do that~" Mei giggled as she took the box. "Thank you."

Zinan nodded with his son. "Yeah, your house really is big..."

"Well, we had to." Zanten said as he stepped forward. "We adopted seven children."

"Seven?" Yuuna blinked. "Oh my..." She looked at Anzu. "Maybe you know some of them..."

Zinan blinked. "Wow...seven..."

Anzu blinked as she looked up at her mother and then over at Zanten and Mei. "Who?"

Zanten stepped aside to reveal all the children still unpacking boxes in the livingroom.

Anzu blinked as she tilted her head, trying to make out anybody familiar. "Suki...?"

The young violet turned her head and blinked. A grin spread across her face as she came over and hugged Anzu. "Anna!"

Yuuna smiled softly. "Oh good, she does know someone."

"They're all good kids." Zanten nodded. "Oh, we have a favor to ask you, Yuuna."

She blinked. "A favor?"

"Yes," Zanten nodded as Zander stepped beside him. "I cannot give Mei kids. My seed is unusable. Can you plant Zander's within her?"

Yuuna blinked but then smiled. "Of course. Come by tomorrow afternoon."

"Thank you." He smiled.

Mei smiled, blushing a little. It sounded weird whenever Zanten said it out loud. However, he wasn't one to pick up on embarrassing things.

"So, how's Hibiki taking all of this?" Zinan asked.

"Very well. He loves all his new siblings." Zanten said.

"That's good. I saw Hinako yesterday, she told me a bit about your new family, though she did not mention how many." Yuuna giggled before giving a small wince. "Ah.." She touched her side.

"Mommy?" Zuchu blinked.

"Yuuna?" Zinan placed his free hand on her shoulder. "You okay, dear?"

"Mhm..." She smiled. "I just got a pain in my side... I felt it earlier making lunch too..."

"Maybe you should have someone take a look at that..." Zinan told her. "Like Zaire?"

She shook her head. "I'll be oka-- Ah!" She doubled over this time and would have fallen if Zanten hadn't caught her.

He blinked. "Yuuna...?" He tilted his head as he held her up.

Zinan placed Zuchu down and went to support Yuuna. "Could you...watch our kids? I should take her to the hospital." He breathed.

"Sure..." Zanten said.

"But..." Zuchu teared up.

"It's okay," Zander picked up the boy. "They will be back."

Zuchu sniffled as he nodded, nuzzling against Zander.

...

"Hello, Yuuna, Zinan." It was Akane. Once in a while she'd come and stay in Kumogakure when she was staying with her husband. In that time she'd work in the hospital.

"A-Akane... wh-what's wrong with me?" Yuuna winced as she held her side, sweat beading on her forehead.

"Well, the pain you're experiencing is your appendix. It has burst. It will need to come out, but we found something else..." She said.

Zinan blinked. "What else did you find?" He asked her.

"Well, your wife is pregnant." Akane said.

Yuuna blinked. "Wh-What? I-Impossible... th-they said I can't..." She winced.

"Well, seems you got lucky." Akane said. "But we have a problem, due to your burst appendix, we need to deliver your child premature, otherwise the toxins of your appendix may affect your child."

"N-No..." Yuuna cried in pain as she gripped her side harder.

Zinan blinked. "Premature...? How premature? It can't be really big...can it?"

"Well, Yuuna is about seven months... She looks incredible for seven months..." Akane said to herself before blinking. "But, I have perfected a new technique that can age premature babies at least a month and a half gap after they have been delivered and as long as they aren't dead... that being said, if this all goes well, we can have you two out of here in a couple days..."

"Really...? That's...possible?" He glanced to Yuuna. He wasn't exactly a master of medicine.

"Mhm... th-think of the jutsu's used on R-Rina... a-anything is possible, Zinan..." She winced. "I... l-let's just do this..." Yuuna breathed. "Z-Zinan, run back... and ask them to watch our children longer... l-let them know what's happening..." She said as Akane helped her to a wheelchair.

Zinan nodded. "I'll be here when you wake up..." He kissed her. "You'll make it. It'll make it." He told her, encouraging her.

She nodded. "I love you..." She squeezed his hand before letting Akane roll her away.

Zinan watched her go before hurrying back to Zanten and Mei's new house.

…

Zuchu was sitting on a chair in Zanten and Mei's new livingroom just staring at his feet. Since he had found Zinan and Yuuna, he felt lonely without them. He didn't know what to do with himself, and with his sister distracted with Suki, he felt even more lonely.

"H-Hello..." Zaijo squeaked as he approached Zuchu, holding his bear.

Zuchu lifted his head. "Hello..."

"M-My sister...is p-playing with yours..." Zaijo stuttered, shy to even be talking to someone other than members of his family.

Zuchu nodded. "Yeah, they are... I'm Zuchu..."

"Z-Zaijo..." He mumbled, going to sit on the couch with him.

He smiled some at the boy. "Do you like your new parents?"

Zaijo nodded. "D-Daddy is nice...and M-Mommy is warm..." He smiled weakly.

“My Mommy and Daddy are really nice too..."

Zaijo nodded. "You look like your m-mommy and daddy..." He noted.

"They're not my birth parents..." He frowned.

"Oh..." Zaijo frowned. "I-I'm sorry..."

“It's okay..." He smiled again, though his eyes stared at the door. He wanted Zinan and Yuuna...

There was a knock to the front door.

Itomi opened it again, having been the closest. "Your child is going crazy without you." He stated simply as he looked at Zinan.

Zinan frowned. "Oh dear...Where is Zanten?"

"Kitchen." He said, stepping aside.

"Daddy!" Zuchu grinned from his seat when he saw Zinan.

Zinan looked over at Zuchu and smiled. He went over to pick the boy up before heading to the kitchen. "Hey buddy..." He kissed his son's head.

"I missed you..." Zuchu sniffled.

Zinan smiled and stroked his hair. "I'm sorry, son..." He breathed.

"Sister ran off to play with Suki..."

"I'm sorry, son..." Zinan frowned a bit. Once he got to the kitchen, he took in a deep breath.

"Zinan," Mei wiped her hands off after working in the sink. She went over to him and frowned. "How is Yuuna?" She asked.

"She's...going into surgery. Her appendix burst..." He told her.

"That's no good..." Zanten said.

"We'll watch your kids, Zinan." Zander said.

Zinan nodded. "It would just be for the night..." He breathed and looked to Zuchu. "Could you go find your sister for me?" He asked him, setting the boy down.

Zuchu nodded and ran down the hall.

"Are you okay?" Zander asked him. "It's not often Yuuna is in the hospital actually being the one operated on."

Zinan nodded. "Yeah...um...actually, there's more to it..." He breathed. "Yuuna was pregnant."

"No way..." Zander blinked.

"I thought you were unable to have kids?" Zanten asked.

Zinan shrugged. "We got lucky..." He shook his head. "I think I'm starting to understand why guards only were able to have one or two kids." He breathed.

"What do you mean?" Zander blinked.

Zinan shook his head. "Only the best of the best were made into guards...They limited our potential so that we'd only produce the best of the best children. To cram that much ability into one person, it makes sense now." He said. "Just look at our biological kids, Zanten." He looked to him. "Zaire is a brilliant doctor, adapting to his mother's ability. Hinako's mind is beyond anyone's I've ever met. Hibiki took your talent with lightning and brought it up to a higher level. If we were still guards, our children would be the next generation of elite guards." He explained.

Zanten frowned and looked at his hands as they rested on the table. "That is true... but what does that mean for your next child?" He asked Zinan. "Does this mean that our first born take all there is to give and leave nothing for the next to come?"

Zander blinked. "Oh, I hope not... I mean, for your sake, Zinan..."

Zinan frowned. "I...don't know what's going to happen." He breathed. "But...I hope that it makes it..."

Mei frowned at Zanten and went to rub his back.

"You know," Zander spoke up. "Wasn't Zateal revived? Isn't he running around this village free?"

Zanten's eyes instantly turned red.

Zinan nodded. "Yes...but he's isolated. Zimura is keeping a close watch on him. He's basically restricted to his house."

"I will behead that man." Zanten clenched his fists.

"Brother..." Zander sighed. "We all want to..."

"Why is Zimura keeping him here?!" Zanten had practically forgotten that Zateal was in the village. "I do not want to live in the same village as him!" He stated, standing.

"Zanten, sit down." Zander stood. "You're not going to go there."

"Zanten, trust me...It's best if you forget about him." Zinan breathed. "If his own brothers could leave him alive, then just leave him be...He's a prisoner in his own right." He shook his head.

"I doubt that highly." Zanten growled. "I'll kill him."

"Kill...?" Zuchu blinked as he came into the room with Anzu.

Zinan shushed Zanten before smiling at his kids, crouching down. "Hey...I have something to tell you both..."

"What?" Zuchu tilted his head.

Zinan smiled. "It seems that we're going to have another brother or sister soon." He breathed. "How would you feel about that?"

Anzu blinked. "Another...?"

"Adopting?" Zuchu asked.

Zinan shook his head.

Anzu's eyes went wide. "A baby?!" She squealed, clapping her hands together.

"Baby...?" Zuchu blinked.

Zinan nodded. "Mommy is having a baby..." He breathed.

Zuchu blinked again and pointed. "Daddy, your crystal is changing colour..."

It was Yuuna's crystal. It was touched with white.

Zinan looked down at his crystal before his eyes widened. "Kids, I have to go...You're going to spend the night with Zanten and Mei, okay? Anzu, don't neglect your brother." He kissed their heads. "I have to go." He said before quickly rushing out.

…

"Dad!" Hinako gasped as she saw Zinan ran down the hall towards him. She was with Zaire in the waiting room. "What's going on? Zaire and I came as soon as we saw Mom's crystal! Why is she in surgery?" She asked.

Zinan panted a bit as he looked to both his children. "Your mother's appendix burst...She's having it removed right now."

Zaire's eyebrows furrowed. "That's a routine procedure...That doesn't explain her crystal..."

Hinako frowned. "What are you hiding?"

Zinan took in a deep breath. "Your mother...was pregnant." He breathed.

"No way..." Hinako eyes widened.

Zinan nodded. "That's what we thought...Akane is working on your mother right now..." He breathed.

Zaire frowned. "I should be with her...I should be in there..."

"You can't barge in now..." Hinako frowned, touching Zaire's shoulder.

Zaire frowned but nodded. "I know that...but...it feels wrong being out here..."

She frowned and hugged him gently. "Mother..."